Without effective marketing strategies, your online business could likely go under during this time of financial instability and economic uncertainty. Indeed, using strategies involving search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing and paid advertising will keep you going, but not as far as they used to. To enhance your online store’s marketing strategies, consider making these upgrades and improvements.
Choose the Right Web Hosting Company
Just because web hosting companies like GoDaddy have low prices on domain names and are heavily advertised, it doesn’t make them the best hosting option for your online store. If you have a static website and are using platforms like Snipcart to monetize it, then practically any web hosting company will have a plan that works for you. If your online store is more dynamic, however, you will need more than what hosting companies like Yahoo Webhosting and Network Solutions have to offer.
For example, if your online store is WordPress based, you might want to consider going with a web hosting company that offers more security and reliability to your dynamic online store. WordPress hosting plans vary depending on the company offering them. Choose a hosting company that offers unlimited database space for storing all your data, and it can only help your business if you have cloud-based backup included with the plan. Often, companies that offer plans and services of lower quality also have unreliable tech support; choose a hosting company that offers 24/7 support you can depend on to be there when you need it most.
Your business will also benefit greatly from some of the plugins that are available with premium hosting services. Plugins can easily be incorporated to help with SEO optimization and with the creation of forms. Others can speed up the processes of sales and other transactions customers are likely or sure to make. A good example of a highly effective SEO plugin is Yoast. With Yoast, you can easily improve your position in the organic search results of search engines like Google, Bing and others. Sometimes you might need to purchase a license to use these. However, the quality of the plugins offered by premium web hosting companies makes the license fees worthwhile.
Establish a Strong Presence on Social Media Platforms
Build loyalty to your brand by increasing your business’ presence on social media. Firstly, potential and current customers will feel more valued when your online store is linked to pages on social media platforms. For instance, it doesn’t cost anything to set up a Facebook Business page and gather a large following. These pages can be customized and you can use them to connect with your customers by posting content, replying to posts from customers and fans and link to your online store. Although individuals are only allowed to have one Facebook page, businesses can have two or more under various areas or products.
Engage in Email Marketing
Most people visit their inboxes at least once a day. Additionally, most people don’t mind getting emails from places they do business with or have done business with in the past. If you set up your online store’s email marketing campaigns the right way, your emails will go to their promotions tab and not their primary tab. Most people who check their emails will glance at their promotions tab to see if any offer catches their eye, especially if they regularly shop online. These are all very good reasons to upgrade or start your email campaigns as soon as you can.
Your marketing emails can end up in your customers’ primary email tab if you take the right measures. Make your emails sound more personal by using greetings like “Hello” and referring to customers’ by their first names. Get directly to the point and avoid words like “Sale”, “Free” and “Deals”. Also, try never to use all caps, dollar signs and percent signs in email messages to your customers. These are all email attributes that can immediately have them sent directly to the promotions tab.
Above all, remain consistent in your marketing campaign efforts. You won’t improve your online store’s performance overnight, but you can adjust your strategies as you move forward. A big part of finding a successful online marketing strategy is trial and error. As long as you learn from the mistakes you make, and correct them, you’re likely to increase your sales margin.
Tarah Mills has always had a passion for writing. Her philosophy is that not only can writing be educational, but it can change the world. While she is dedicated to her work, she still enjoys a good game of basketball, curling up to a good book, and all things Star Wars. She currently resides in the Richmond, Virginia area with her family.